The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

50 Under 30 Women in Digital

The Drum's 50 under 30 2015: Introducing the young disruptors making their mark on digital

Author

By Rebecca Stewart, Trends Editor

October 21, 2015 | 8 min read

Each day this week The Drum will be highlighting 10 of the digital pioneers who made it into this year's 50 under 30.

Now in its third year, The Drum's 50 under 30 platform champions the talented, driven and innovative young women who are disrupting the digital space.

The feature is part of The Drum's ongoing commitment to celebrate women in the sector.

This year we were inundated with nominations from the industry. The longlist was then whittled down by a panel of industry experts including Mindshare's Amy Kean; Will Hayward, chief commercial officer for Dazed Group; Sandra McDill, chief digital officer for the Post Office and Publicis Worldwide's Dylan Williams.

Each day we've been profiling ten of the final candidates in alphabetical order. Scroll down to see who made it into the 2015 list, which features faces from Google, Somo and BlisMedia.

Amy Fox, global product manager, BlisMedia

How would your colleagues describe you?

I think my colleagues would describe me as easy-going and approachable. This industry can be very high pressured and intense, with a lot at stake, but keeping calm under pressure is really important.

Who inspires you most, either professionally or personally?

My dad is a massive inspiration for me. He is one of the most intelligent and logical people I have ever met and was very successful because of it. There is never a problem he can’t help or advise me on, and he is always willing to help.

Jo Franklin, account director, Propeller PR

What’s been your biggest career highlight to date?

A big moment was organising our Miss Representation event at Grey London. Enders Analysis presented and Emma Barnett (women’s editor, Telegraph) chaired a great panel discussing the progress of women in digital.

If you weren’t in digital, what would you be doing?

Still technically digital, but I’d do investigative audio documentaries for the kinds of radio I love listening to: Criminal, Radiolab, Invisibilia, Death, Sex & Money and Ted Radio Hour. I’d love to research and record the interviews they do.

Frith Fraser, senior director, global account strategy, MediaMath

What’s been your biggest career highlight to date?

In your 20s, opportunities to develop a business and experience different markets don’t come around very often. But just under two years ago I moved from London to Singapore to build MediaMath’s APAC HQ.

How would your colleagues describe you?

Passionate, opportunist, energetic, and friendly.

Who inspires you most, either professionally or personally?

My family inspires me with their creative, get-up-and-go attitude.

Fiona Gillanders, digital analyst, Accenture

What does your average day look like?

I get to work on such a variety of projects that I don’t really have an ‘average’ day. But, broadly speaking, I spend my days designing and developing apps to provide clients with new insights into their businesses.

Who inspires you most, either professionally or personally?

There’s no one person that inspires me most. I try to learn a little something from a lot of people; everyone has something to give.

Naomi Hands, strategic partnerships manager, Somo

What’s been your biggest career highlight to date?

Being able to get to a position where I am at the forefront of the latest innovations in the mobile and digital space.

Who inspires you most, either professionally or personally?

Whether it’s friends doing something brave and new, colleagues who tackle different challenges, or people with interesting stories – I find my inspiration everywhere. But most of all, my mum, she was the first female manager in her industry, which has always inspired me to push boundaries and exceed expectations.

Laura Henderson, digital account director, Rocket

What does your average day look like?

If I’m not on a train up to Manchester to see clients I am in the office with my team working on anything from overall strategy for the year to improving our clients day-to-day reporting. Sprinkle in a few cups of tea and that’s pretty much my average day.

If you weren’t in digital, what would you be doing?

Fashion. I love everything about the fashion sector and my years looking after luxury retail clients showed me there isn’t too much difference between the two industries.

Lucie Kerley, creative digital strategist and social media consultant, Agent K

How would your colleagues describe you?

That I’m creative, full of ideas, quick to contribute to a discussion, and always willing to help people out. I’m hardworking, passionate about what I do, and a bit of a stickler for detail, but able to see the bigger picture too.

If you weren’t in digital, what would you be doing?

My dream would be to work as a Magnum documentary photographer, travelling the world, meeting interesting people and shooting campaigns for non-profit organisations. But I’ll take any spare moment that I have to indulge in my love of photography.

Sophie Kleiner, head of search, NMP

What’s been your biggest career highlight to date?

The moment that has really stuck with me throughout my career is winning the first pitch in which I was able to fully develop the campaign strategy. It was the moment that I truly fell in love with the work I was doing.

If you weren’t in digital, what would you be doing?

Growing up and throughout university I wanted to be a meteorologist. I always enjoyed the idea of being able to analyse satellite images and translate them into meaningful information that would affect someone’s everyday life.

Cat Leaver, group head of strategy, We are AD

What’s been your biggest career highlight to date?

In 2014, I was the youngest of only nine female business leaders selected for a fully funded year-long training programme, run by Channel 4 and TRC. The course was the most inspirational experience of my career to date, both from a learning and development perspective.

How would your colleagues describe you?

Approachable, ardent and happy, I hope. I firmly believe in positive energy and building an open and collaborative company culture, so I try to practice what I preach – word hard, play hard.

Anne-Laure Le Cunff, marketing manager, Google

What’s been your biggest career highlight to date?

Launching Women in Search, the first initiative in the UK to celebrate women in search marketing and to inspire the next generation of leaders. It was amazing to meet all those talented women, to see them form a community, and to help start those conversations.

If you weren’t in digital, what would you be doing?

Hard to imagine as I’ve always been fascinated by technology. I’d probably be backpacking around the world. Or I’d be a paleontologist. Yes, if I weren’t in digital, I’d be a paleontologist backpacking around the world.

50 Under 30 Women in Digital

More from 50 Under 30

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +